What Lays Below
by Nora Mutao Frost
Summary: Zareth AU: Danny shows Zareth and the others just where she's been hiding out most of the time. A short calm before the storm
1. Chapter 1

_What Lays Below_

 _Fractured Code_

 _Chapter 24_

 _Here is where I lay_

The snow began to fall gracefully to the wastes. A large area without a single place to go. Tucked under Zareths right arm was Danny, Tucked under his right arm was Inky. Both wearing thick coats and hats. It was incredibly cold even though the cabin of the boat was heated. Zareth found them he couldn't sleep to long, something subconscious would wake him and he'd search his arms all over again for them both. He sighed putting his head on Dannys. His eyes closed again only to hear the train whistle moments later blowing marking that they were about to stop at a town. He nudged the ladies under his protective watch. Dannys eyes shot open and shook looked around almost panicked. Her eyes locked onto Zareths and it was like she came home.

"Its okay babe...nothing serious. We're just at our destination." He said looking back at Inky who was stretching and yawning loudly.

"You have no idea how warm you are for someone whose half master of ice." She said wanting to cuddle back up again. He chuckled standing up pulling a single back down. It wasn't the suitcase but it had heavy clothing in it that they managed to buy from the town over. They'd need it to get to wherever it was they were going. Danny wasn't that talkative about it, and when she was asked about it she would just smile and shrug her shoulders.

Danny stood up and they walked into the bathrooms changing out there thin clothing for the thick. Zareth wasn't totally sure why they needed to go to this place at all. They needed to get back to Ninjago City didn't they? Thats where the problem was...right?

"Are you going to tell us where we're going?" Inky asked now that they were outside in the train station.

"Ever learn how to use a snowmobile?" Was Dannys answer. Inky sighed and shook her head.

"No mom…" Inky was getting impatient with her.

"Danny…" Zareth took her hand and pulled her to him. She sighed.

"I can't say anything...its programmed that way. You'll just have to trust me...you do trust me don't you?" Danny looked up into the soft blue eyes of his. He smiled softly down at her. The knowing look was what she got put her mind at ease.

"But where are we going?" Inky cried out pointing right or left. Danny laughed.

"Left…" She said going over to a snowmobile rental.

"Mom...we should go snowboarding. I mean Uncle Zareth taught me how to surf. Its gotta be similar right?" She asked Danny laughed and shook her head.

"Not even a little." She said Inky looked amazed at this new information.

Inky watched the snow as they traveled through the glacier country. It wasn't snowing very hard just light flakes fluttered down onto them. Goggles on there faces, and helmets on there heads they followed Danny through the pass. It was an hours drive out till the came to a very homely looking cabin. The lights were on, and smoke came from the chimney. Danny pulled off her helmet and got off the snowmobile. Inky climbed off the seat in front of Zareth who had been driving since she couldn't.

"Alright the person your about to meet is apparently been the caretaker here for some time now. He looks young, but he's actually quite old. He's uh...he's...Danielle Spencers son." Danny said. She cleared her throat and walked into the cabin. There was a boy who appeared really young, hair cropped short, with two long pieces hanging down to his chest tied into braids. He looked up and smiled seeing Danny.

"There you are I tho...oh…" He saw Inky and then Zareth walk in. "I wasn't aware we were going to have guests. I'll fetch more cups." He walked into the small kitchen just under the stairs.

"I am uh...okay." Danny cleared her throat sitting down on the couch.

Hot chocolate was placed in front of them. Inky looked at it and then at the man sitting in a chair next to the fire.

"I'm sure you've got questions. Feel free to ask them." He said. Zareth narrowed his eyes at him and then looked at Danny. Danny just nodded her head and shrugged trying to coax him to begin his questions.

"I guess introductions are in order." Luckily Inky fired off before anyone else. "My names Inky. Elemental Master of Ink."

"They named you Inky?" He chuckled

"Well no...its just what they call me cause I hate my real name." Inky spat crossing her arms.

"What if I told you...that your parents didn't want you to go? You were taken, by my Aunt Angela's order." He said. Inky looked up at the boys face. His eyes were bright blue almost glowing.

"How can you know that?" Inky asked.

"Because I was in the room when the order was made."


	2. Chapter 2

_What Lay's below_

 _Fractured Code_

 _Chapter 25_

 _Anger_

Danny watched her daughter sit back down slowly. The boy who sat in the small armchair in front of the fireplace looked down at his lap.

"Mind you I was a boy then. About 10 years old when I saw them switch on Danny. She was so kind back then. I saw my Aunt and mother disagree on tons of things. You see...it was my Aunt Angela who killed my mother and recreated her as an evil thing that wanted no more then to kill everything and study it."

"Yeah I got that impression alright." Zareth said rubbing his hand where the scars still remained from where Spencer felt around under his skin. The boy nodded his head.

"You must be Zareth? Danny has spoken of you very much along with Ms. Inky, Zane, and her husband Dareth. You all seem to be very kind to her. Love her very much." Zareth held out his hand to shake the boys. "My name is Roy Spencer I am the eleme…"

"Another elemental master of melding."

"Yes...I am after all The great grandson of your daughter Angela."

"My...great...great grandson?"

"I am." Roy smiled standing up putting his empty cup onto a tray. Zareth smiled at a Clarinet on the other side of the chair.

"Do you play?" He asked. Roy shook his head.

"No I found it when a dead body on my way up here. The wallet had the word Reed on it. So I suppose it belonged to him. Zareth gasped and looked at Danny.

"Reed...he was one of my incarnations." He smiled picking it up running it over his fingers.

"Does it belong to you?" Roy asked.

"Once upon a time." He smiled almost lovingly at the device.

'I can play.' Dareth said with deep fascination for the instrument.

'No...no you can't…' Zane mumbled.

'What?'

'Nothing…' Zane said.

Zareth put the instrument up to his mouth and he began to play a strange song he had no idea where it came from. Perhaps it belonged to Reed?

"If you don't mind Roy...can you tell me why I was wanted enough to kidnap me from a different realm?"

"Ah so you know about that part hum?"

"Kade told me when he was turning my body to clay." The feeling still haunted her. She felt so used, naked, even burned.

"Clay? My goodness I didn't know he could do that." Roy said " I'm afraid they wanted you for your ink. It has magical properties. Like any writer among the people of the cloud realm if you use your ink to write something down it will come to pass. You can literally write anyones story and it would come true. The good...and the bad."

Inkys heart dropped, she looked at her fingers. Was she that important?

"Maybe its best if I…"

"No!" Dannys voice boomed in the room. Zareth even stopped playing and looked at her even though he had a fearful look on his face telling her it might not be him looking at him like that. "I won't allow you to think that it would be best here without you Inky. Your father and I need you here with us." She reached over cupping the girls head in her hands. "We love you, and we won't ever think its best if you weren't here." Danny pulled her close.

"Curious...you weren't created with emotions Danny. You and Gab were designed to just be prototypes."

"Is that why we were handed over to the military so willingly by Angela?" Danny blurted.

"No...Angela...commanded the military." This was news to Danny.

Danny closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Maybe you can answer the one question thats been burning on my mind since I began to remember what I once was." She took Zareths hand and looked up at Roy. "Why...did I suddenly awaken when I saw Zareth?" She asked Roy put the mugs onto the tray and looked at Zareth and shook his head.

"I donno. There must have been something within him or Zane that Dr. Julien had done. Whatever it was...its lost with him." Roy said Danny nodded her head and stood up.

"I think its about time I…" Danny ran to the door as the floor began to trimmer. Zareth ran to the door and looked on as a large cloud started to come there way.

"Avalanche!" He yelled grabbing Danny.

"You got a basement a cellar? Something?" Zareth grabbed Inky. She clung to him, he could feel her breathing quicken against his chest. Roys eyes widened.

Gaya held the binoculars to her eyes as the snow ran right over the house. It broke into pieces right before her eyes. She smiled turning to Kade.

"Perfect...go get them for me." She said and smiled. "You have 20 minutes before Inky dies and so do I." Kade nodded his head and looked at a large number of people.

"You heard her! Get to work!"


	3. Chapter 3

_What Lay's Below_

 _Fractured Code_

 _Chapter 26_

 _What is hope?_

A small lantern light enveloped the staircase. They could hear the rumbling and cracking of the wood above them. The door had slapped shut quickly. Zareth had hold of Inky and Danny in his arms sitting down on the steps. Roy stood in front of them with the lantern.

"Its quite alright, I've been looking out for this place for some time now." He said patting Zareths shoulder as he walked down the stairs. "If you'll follow me." He said walking deeper and deeper down into the cavern.

The stairs opened up into what could only be described as batmans cave. There were vehicles, computers, parts, all lining the walls. Each one turning on as Danny walked by them. Each one tuned to her frequency. She ran her fingers over a motorcycle and smiled up at Zareth. He smiled and nodded his head. She just giggled almost like they were having a silent conversation.

"What is this place?" She asked seeing five tanks three with water inside it.

"This is where we reanimated Danny upon her death. If you notice...she's died twice in the last year. I haven't had time to build her a new body." He grumbled. Danny shrugged her shoulders and laughed.

"Sorry Roy, but my last one had to die or Inky and Zareth would have. Theirs nothing I could have done."

"Oh I know...stop exploding. Thats the second time!" Roy exclaimed.

"Second time!" Zareths voice bellowed in the huge room echoing down the hallway. Danny turned around and smiled at him.

"Of course…" A hologram around Danny shifted into that of River. "You didn't expect me to have an older sibling did you?" She smiled at him. His face was that of disbelief and then there was a smile on his face.

"You protected me." he said pulling her to him.

"Of course I did." He leaned in almost like he was going to kiss her. Danny recoiled away from him a little. "You didn't have to do it so mean." He whispered letting her go. Danny fell into a seat and just smiled.

"Had to act the part sweetie." She said and gasped.

"No not that door!" She called out and grabbed Zareths hand. "Sign says radioactive...don't go in there. I'm sure Zane would survive, but I donno about Dareth...please." Danny said. Zareth nodded his head and looked up at Inky.

"So is there a backdoor to this place?" Zareth asked. Roy nodded.

"Yes it lets out into a mouth of a cave. Follow me. Its close to towns since we're going through the mountain instead of around him." He told them.

"Oh but Roy...your house." Danny said. Roy shrugged his shoulders.

"I'll be fine Danny. I'll just stay down here for a little while." He aid Danny nodded and sighed.

"Alright, but make sure you clean up after yourself alright?" She said and started to walk out of the exit. Roy sighed turning back to the room and shook his head.

"Never asking the right questions...do they mom?" He opened the radioactive door and looked inside. There were five more more tanks. Each one filled with Danielle Spencer. One...was missing.

"Nope never." Spencer put her arms around her sons shoulders as they watched the security feeds. "Its a pity don't you think? My dear sister seems to think she's got them wrapped around her little finger. To bad isn't it? As long as that little brat plays her cards right...everything will be forgiven."

Danny looked around outside the cave. They could see the buildings off in the distance.

"The town isn't to far Roy wasn't joking. I guess its probably about thirty minute trek. We can go get one of my cars and get there in fifteen." Danny said and turned around to see Inky and Zareth with there hands up. Danny gasped when a chain was threw around her. It was instant, her power was trained completely. Her hair faded to a dirty brown color. She was left with enough energy to breath, but that was it. Zareth found himself feeling sick he couched and threw up all over the snow.

"Uncle Zar…" Inky gasped clutching the chair threwing an ink shard at one of them. It hit the guy in the head and fell to the floor. Inky growled clawing at the man.

"Get away from my mom!" She chains wound around her arm as she ran toward the downed Angel.

"Keep as little vengestone from around Inky if you please...she'll die if we put to much around her." Gaya walked over looking over the teenager in front of her.

"Just think...I used to be inside you."

"Big deal...your just shit." Inky growled her eyes glowing red. Gaya reached out grabbing Inkys neck leaning in close.

"Depending on you...depends on what will be done with your little family here." Gaya smiled leaning in kissing Inkys cheek.

"You won't kill me...if I die...you die." She whispered back.

"Mmm yes that is a problem isn't it? Gonna need that little emerald that you have hidden. You know the one Van wanted."

"Not gonna happen." Inky growled out.

"Oh...we'll see."


	4. Chapter 4

_What Lay's Below_

 _Fractured Code_

 _Chapter 27_

 _Please not him…_

"Oh...my head…" Zareth felt horrible, like he had been hit by a ten ton semi truck going two hundred down the autobahn. Two guards carted him down a stone hallway. He looked one way and then the other, he couldn't see a way out. As if he had any energy to do anything. "Yo Danny ya there?" He heard a mumble coming from her. He tried to raise his head with no hope. "Inky?" He called, there was no answer. "What did you do to my little girl you punks?" He growled out. There was vinegar to his words, but there wasn't any promise. They dropped him into the floor unchaining him and leaving the room. The door slamming shut.

Zareth felt a bit better jumping up and running toward the door.

"Do you think this prison will hold me! Your craz…" Large stone pillars began to come down around him.

'Zareth this isn't good. Thats vengestone.' Zane offered. 'Just relax...don't do anyt…'

'Zane thats going to kill us...I feel so...weak Zane.' Dareth mumbled. Zareth grabbed at his chest looking around at the pillars as they lock into place. He hugged himself looking from one place to another.

"Whats...happening to us?" Zareth couldn't think the pain, he couldn't breath. He fell back to his hands and knees. He began to couch up both blood and oil. A huge yell echoed throughout the room. Falling to his side curling up in a ball. The pain seemed never ending.

"Do you hear him Danny? Do you hear your hero screaming? It truely sounds wonderful doesn't it?" A small chuckle escaped the black lips as she tried her best to sound calm when Danny knew perfectly well that she was very proud of herself.

"It sounds like you...couldn't do it yourself…" Danny panted. She was put under what looked like a tanning bed. The vengestone around her middle, but the lights above keeping her at least a little powered. "Wheres my daughter?" Danny asked looking up through the small window at Gaya who looked down at her.

"Oh don't you worry about the baby...I've got her...right where I want her." She smiled looking up nodding to Kade. Kade watched as the vengestone was attacked to her. Inky began to leak from her body and into the crevices of the floor.

"You will write something for me Inky...you will write that I destroyed my creator and the first spinjitzu master...that will pull the universe into chaos...it is what I thirst for...I feed on it, I relish it. You will give it to me Inky...please my dear...do it and Zareths tortures will be over...if you don't. I'll kill them both." Gaya smiled Inky shook her head not wanting anything to do with any of them. Inky found herself looking up at the ceiling. Her head pounded as she tried to think.

"I can't…" She cried out. Gaya smiled at her.

"Poor girl...you don't get it...either you do it for me and your parents survive. Or I do it...and your parents die...either way...it'll be done and you'll have no choice but to watch as everyone dies."

"Not again, its the button all over again." Inky cried out.

"Thats right Inky...that stupid...button. But this time you get to push it by choice. Yes...or no."

"No Inky...no...we'll find a way out of this. You just have to trust us." She said jumping when Gaya slammed her hand down on the chains. Danny screamed out. Her wing shattered as Gaya grabbed hold of it and forced it back to far.

"Danny!" Zareths yell echoed down the hallway, but it sounded like three different voices.

"Zareth!" Danny yelled out. There was one last scream before it went silent.

"What did you do to him?" Danny spat at Gaya. Gaya just smiled.

"My torture room...he's a fusion...a man made up of elemental energy. I just put him in a room surrounded by vengestone. What did you think was going to happen?" She laughed and looked up at Inky. "Now I can kill Dareth and Zane individually...so what do you say Inky? Write for me?" Gaya smiled looking at the piece of paper she held up. It looked like old parchment. Inky nodded her head.

"Good girl…" She held up the pen and smiled evilly.


End file.
